This crumb cake is heaven on a plate–-to say that it is light, moist, and delicious is a total understatement. The recipe has been around since at least the mid-70s–and it’s bound to be a favorite for at least another four-or-five decades. There’s nothing fussy about this recipe–it’s simple to make, and is sure to be a hit at any brunch.

Source: Lael’s mother-in-law (and my friend:), Jill

Prep time: 20-30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes for the cake; 15 minutes for the crumb topping

Total time: 1 hour to an hour-and 15 minutes

Serves: 8-10 people

Preheat oven to 350⁰F for cake. After cake is baked, reduce heat to 325⁰F for the topping.

Cake

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • Pudding cake mix–I couldn’t find pudding cake mix, so I used a vanilla cake mix and added 1 small box (3.4 oz) of French vanilla instant pudding

Topping

  • 2 sticks butter or margarine
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  1. Combine cake ingredients. No tricks here. I followed the order in which the ingredients were listed, slightly beating the eggs before adding the other items. I also mixed the cake mix and the pudding mix together before adding them to the liquid items. That was it—no beating on medium for x minutes, and then switching to another speed for another x minutes. Simply, mix the ingredients together.  
  2. Pour into a 13” x 9” pan and bake at 350⁰ for 30 minutes.
  3. Combine Topping ingredients by hand for crumbs. I used a pastry cutter. Sprinkle on top of the cake when it is done baking, and bake 15 minutes at 325.⁰ It may seem like a lot of topping but it’s not—it’s a perfect amount.

Lael had ornaments made of some of the favorite family recipes––this one was for Jill. Great idea!